Guide Note

The United Parcel Service, commonly referred to as UPS, began in 1907 as a messenger service and is currently the world's largest package delivery service. It operates in over 200 countries and territories around the world, and also provides worldwide specialized transportation and logistics services. The company uses a simple brown color scheme, leading to its recognizable and trademarked "UPS Brown" nickname.

Fast Facts

1. Stock symbol: UPS
2. Annual revenue (2007): $49.7 billion
3. Founders: Jim Casey and Claude Ryan
4. Established: August 28, 1907
5. Industry: Air courier
6. Phone: 404-828-6000
7. Fax: 404-828-7666
8. HQ: Atlanta, Georgia
9. Chairman/CEO: D. Scott Davis
10. CFO: Kurt Kuehn
11. Staff (as of 2007): 483,000

Key Dates

1. August 28, 1907: Company founded as the American Messenger Company by Jim Casey and Claude Ryan, respectively aged 19 and 18
2. 1913: Acquired first delivery car (a Ford Model T)
3. 1930: Consolidated service begins in New York City, soon branches into the east and midwest.
4. 1975: UPS services the entire continental United States and starts Canadian service
5. 1976: Establishes services in Europe
6. 1988: UPS Airlines is launched
7. August 28, 2007: Celebrates its 100th anniversary